Oblivion
by Bellona
Summary: A Marine tells her account of the incident on Jupiter's moon...to the grim end. (Finished)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Doom is the property of ID software.

A/N: This fic follows the TNT: Evilution storyline.

Warnings: Violence, language, and gore. More of this will be present in the second chapter.

Three weeks had passed since the UAC base was built on the moon, and the scientists resumed their work on the Gate. I was heading to the hanger now, intent on completing my rounds of inspections on the aircraft. Other Marines were running around me, and several scientists passed as well. The Gate was going to be opened soon, and everyone was anxious over the event, fearful of another outbreak. This situation on Earth, and Mars for that matter, could not be repeated. The human race was already at slim numbers. One more successful assault by Hell could mean the doom of the human civilization.

The commander, the famous man who survived Mars and Earth, was also present on the moon. Having him here made a lot of personal at ease. I wanted to meet him, this hero that defeated Hell itself and lived to tell about it. However, the chance never came up. 

"All personal please report to the Testing Ground," the intercom boomed.

My cue. The rounds would have to be completed later. I strode over to weapons check, took a shotgun, and took my place in the immense line of people. A loud creaking noise filtered into the room as the massive, tanned doors slid aside, allowing the green, uniformed Marines to march in. 

The Testing Ground was a heavily guarded room, practically measuring the same distance as a football field. There was only one way in and one way out; through the main doors. The ceiling, walls, and ground were coated with several layers steel, which could prevent anything from breaking out, or so we were told. If an attack occurred from minions of Hell, and the Marines were overwhelmed, the doors would be fastened shut, trapping everyone inside. It was a nerving thought, though. Being trapped with demons that had a lust for human blood was not a pleasant image.

A hand smacked on my shoulder, sending a stinging sensation coursing down my back. I tilted my head, glaring over at the culprit. A smirk grew.

"Thomas Walburn, you bastard; I thought you were posted on septic duty for the incident on Lysithea," I laughed.

He shrugged, "I guess I'm such a good fighter that they just had to place me back here. Glad to see you're still among the ranks, Lucille."

I chuckled darkly, "But who knows for how much longer? Do you actually believe we'll be able to hold off an assault from Hell?"

"Come now," Thomas scoffed. "Where's your enthusiasm? If any of those messed up, sons of bitches, come out, we'll blast them to bits. We're prepared this time, and I'm going to personally enjoy every second of shooting the guts out of those freaks!"

I shook my head. Dear Thomas; he was the eccentric type. It would get him killed in the end.

My attention was drawn back to the sliding doors. A portion of the Gate was coming into view, and from what I saw, it wasn't anything impressive. I had envisioned it as massive apparatus that nearly filled the entire room, but this was a meager device that appeared no larger than a man was. It was mind-boggling. All this surveillance for such a tiny, yet dangerous machine that would determine our fate in the universe.

I took position in the front flank along with Thomas, pointing the barrel of the gun toward the Gate. A few of the scientists gave a signal, informing us that the Gate was about to be opened. Sweat was sliding down my brow, and my hands were trembling, turning white as my grip increased on the weapon. This would be my second time encountering the malicious demons, and I wasn't looking forward to it. Memories of escaping on the ship from Earth came back. I could still remember the demons swarming around us in the burning cities; how I had barely made it out with my family; how the ship we were being transported on was almost obliterated from the force field set up by Hell. Then, a miracle happened. The human race was saved by that heroic man, allowing the ship to travel to safety. That was a while back, when I was only a teenager. After that fateful day I joined the Marine Corp, but I was regretting the decision now. Why was I foolish enough to join? 

All thoughts are momentarily pushed aside as a low rumble racked across the room. The Gate shuddered, and spewed out a red light. A breeze came floating through, and a putrid stench, the stench of something rotting, seeped into my nostrils. It was a potent enough smell that everyone present gagged, clasping desperately at their faces in a pitiful attempt to keep out the odor. A long wail followed, soon answered by other deafening cries of the damned before the first legion broke through the Gate.

Shots rang out in the air, nearly drowning out the screams of the advancing demons. Hell had sent out the weaklings first. The first wave consisted of zombies, flaming skulls, and imps. Dark blood and limbs splattered in every direction from the legion, coating the walls and floor in a slimy mess. I aimed the shotgun at approaching heads and fired, turning them to instant mush. 

The firing continued, and a total of thirty minutes passed before the last demon was annihilated, without the cost of human life, but the victory was short lived. More monstrosities swarmed through the Gate, spurting out larger and stronger demons than before. Hell was a persistent bitch, stubborn in its mission to overrun us, to exterminate us. With every demon that fell, twenty more seemed to take its place. 

For a time, it appeared as if the demons would overtake us. The running masses were drawing closer and closer with each passing second. To make matters worse, a Mancubus had made it through the Gate, blasting fireballs in every direction. The heat was intense; I could feel it whizzing by me, almost turning me into a pile of ash. The Marine to the left of me was the unfortunate victim, disintegrated in a flash of an eye. Others followed as well, not as lucky as the ones taken by fire. Some of the soldiers ran out of ammo, allowing the demons to overwhelm them. The unfortunate soul would be surrounded by a group of the gnashing beasts, and even the person's comrades were unable to blast all of them off. They were dragged out to the center. Claws would wildly descend upon them, causing a stream of flesh and blood to fly everywhere. Their screams of agony could be heard over the gun blasts; sometimes lasting for minutes before dying out in a gurgling mess. Casualties were expected, though. Not everyone was going to make it out alive from a war. Then, the demons would turn back to the front lines. Crimson liquid streamed down their mouths and the amount they had taken did not satiate their need for more. They would always hunger for the delicacy of human flesh.

I kept firing at the line, turning everything that wasn't human into unintelligible heaps of guts. Thomas was still next to me, shooting like a mad man and laughing the entire time. It was a comfort to see him alive; to have someone you knew standing right beside you as death clung to the air. The fight soon came to a close, and the last demon was shot into oblivion. Thousands of the enemy lie in mangled heaps, and the floor was stained red. It was going to be a pain to clean up.

Cheers rang out in the room. Thomas drew me close in a tight, crushing embrace.

"See? What did I tell you girl?" Thomas chirped. "The population of Hell is no match for us!"

Yes, we were victorious, but for how long?

To be continued.


	2. Darkness Descends

Months passed since the incident at the Gate. Other tests had been completed with the devise and the land of Hell was silent. More Marines were sent in from Earth, strengthening the numbers tenfold. UAC wasn't taking any chances. The tests intensified.

It was a Friday morning when a loud bell rang, a signal that a cargo ship from Earth was about to arrive. The shipment was early, but the arrival of fresh supplies was greatly needed. Ammo was becoming scarce due to the previous battle. 

I left my neat quarters, eager to gaze over the new cargo. Darting toward the landing strip, I noted the clusters of people forming in the center, glancing up at the sky in horror. The horizon had turned bright red, and a deathly silence clung to the air. I stopped dead in my tracks. Chills coursed down my spine at the horrific sight.

Miles above the ground floated a vast ship, but not one from Earth. The material seemed to be made of pulsating flesh and jagged bone. Blood was seeping down the vessel like great waterfalls; two separate ones on the front side and two others on the backside. Each splashed onto the ground, sending waves of the red liquid toward the base, causing panic as if flowed over a group of Marines. The ship stayed still, however, suspended in time. The breeze came by then, carrying the odor of rotting skin.

Chaos erupted amongst the personal, as demons swarmed from the outlets of the ship, dropping from the sky in colossal numbers, appearing like dotted specks at first. However, the size increased and they smashed into the ground at an alarming rate. The way they hit the cement, you'd think they'd turn out like road kill, but the legions were strong and it seemed they were unfazed by the free fall. 

Numerous Imps, Zombies, Revenants, and Arachnotrons were scuttling toward us, already shooting fireballs, missiles, and plasma at everything that moved. No one had been prepared for this type of attack. Most of the Marines were still stationed with the Gate, also holding most of the remaining weapons, leaving this area of the base vulnerable.

I chose to run with the others; what else could we do? The only gun I had on me was a pistol and that would do little good against a Revenant. The only hope was to reach the Testing Ground to retrieve the more destructive weapons. 

Through the corner of my eye, I could see demons weaving in and out of the group, forcing small clusters away from the mass. The monsters then surrounded the Marines, and went in for the kill. I turned away when limbs and other body parts flew into the air. 

The mass in front of me halted, crying out in alarm. I pushed several Marines out of the way, trying to gain a better view. I saw then. It made a wave of nausea swarm into my gut, and my heart throbbed within my chest, causing the pounding to reverberate in my skull.

The demons had managed to cut us off, preventing anyone from reaching the Testing Ground. The fiends were everywhere. They dropped into the sewers, broke through the walls into various rooms, but worst of all, they were closing the two massive doors to the area that contained the Gate. The Marines inside were firing at the demons, failing to notice that the Gate was pulsing with life behind them. Ones that were able to get past the doors were instantly mowed down by the collection of demons, unable to escape the anxious claws that awaited them, even with the heavy artillery. Something big was coming through the portal, but all I could make out was the rocket launcher on its arm before the door was sealed. Blasts and pained screams came quickly after.

Hope wasn't lost. There was a storage room at the end of Base 7 that contained shotguns. It wasn't the greatest weapon, but it would be better than a pistol. There was only one problem: reaching it while keeping all of my body parts from being severed.

I drew out the gun from the holster, and shot wildly at anything non-human in my way, attempting to clear a path to the storage room. People were falling all around me, dragged down in a fury of gnashing teeth and claws. My ammo was becoming low. Glowing, red eyes were looking in my direction.

A bullet, whether from the Zombies, or a stray from a fellow Marine, struck my shoulder, causing a spurt of warm blood to gush down the side of my chest. The fresh scent attracted the attention of other demons. I could hear their snorts and grunts, echoing their hunger that demanded to be quelled. I wasn't about to let them devour me so easily. They were going to earn their meal.

I pushed on through the horde, despite the horrendous pain, my determination fierce. Base 7 was within my sights. It would only take a few more minutes, but I was forced to stop. A burning, unimaginable, agony entered my rib cage. Whipping my head around, I saw an Imp looming over me. Its jagged nails were digging into my flesh, inching further and further, searching to grasp my organs. My reflexes had slowed, but I was able to blow the bastard's brains out. However, I was now left with a bullet wound and a rather large, gaping hole near my abdomen. 

Dizziness was starting to overtake me, and the bitter taste of copper flowed into my mouth. The land around me was spinning, and the voices of man and beast were slowly drowning out. I tried to force myself on, but the searing pain increased and my vision darkened. A body dropped in front of me, and my feet stumbled over it, making me crash to the cement ground. Instinct was yelling at me to get back up or perish, but I was too far-gone to move. Shadows loomed over me, and black gradually crept over my eyes.

Claws were roughly grabbing hold of my arms, and dragging my body to somewhere unknown. Memories of home flooded back to my mind. Beautiful Pensacola County. It was springtime there. How I wished I could have seen the lilac bushes in full bloom one last time. But I was surly dead now. The darkness took over.

Was I dead? Where was I? Heaven? Hell? Pain was still spreading along my entire frame, and I fought to open my eyelids. Then, the noises came. Deafening screams were echoing everywhere. I jolted awake. I was still very much alive, and neither on Heaven or Hell. I was trapped on the UAC base, though it surly did resemble Hell.

I had been placed on my back outside the storage building. To my surprise, there were a great deal of Marines still alive and kicking. Four lines were kept of the thrashing people. The first line contained the weak, barely alive, and they were being hauled into the labs. The same Marines came out minutes later at the opposite door, but they came out Zombies. The second line, holding the ones with minor wounds, broke off into two segments: one leading to a group of Imps with spikes, and the other to Zombies with nails and hammers. I couldn't bear to watch as the men were impaled alive or crucified on the walls. The cries of agony were unbearable, and my eyes soon stung with the onslaught of tears. The third line was strung up by their legs near the crucified, and the demons swarmed to rend the bodies to pieces, leaving a heap of mangled flesh that was once human.

A recognizable yell drew back my attention. Thomas. A group of demons had him surrounded, holding him in place as another brought over a noose. He spotted me, and the sad gleam in his eyes made me break out in sobs. I found my hand stretching out to him, trying to reach him, trying to comfort him. His long arm extended as well, but we would never reach each other. 

Once the rope was tied securely around his neck, one of the imps hobbled behind a tree and gradually pulled him up until he was left dangling. Grunts of satisfaction followed. Those sick bastards. They were laughing at him, at all of us, for the misery we were being put through. I could see the sadistic glint in their beady eyes. The monsters tore at him, slicing his belly open while he was still kicking. Blood dribbled down Thomas' mouth, and the organs from his body fell out in clumps. He finally grew lax, and his mouth remained open in a silent scream.

Nausea swept over me, and I could barely keep myself from vomiting. The fourth line contained most of the women, and they were shoved side by side. Several of the demons paced around them, gazing each one over. Spotting one they liked, their sharp nails raised in the air and slash down. What were they doing? The clothing, not the flesh, was being ripped to shreds. Realization dawned on me, and once again I averted my gaze. I didn't need to see it. The screams of "mercy" were horrific enough. 

The tears came more freely now. I couldn't help but wonder my fate. That was soon answered when an Imp came near, latching onto my leg, dragging me toward the second line. So that was their plan. They were going to mount me on a wall or spike like some sort of trophy! They weren't going to do that to me, at least not alive.

I laid out my hands, desperately searching the ground and reachable corpses for any feasible weapons. Cold metal came over my touch, and I eagerly grabbed hold. It was a pistol. I held it up and fired, sending a bullet streaming through the Imp's neck. The demon fell back, gurgling as blood sprayed out of its neck, falling over to the ground. The noise alerted other demons, and I could see them rampaging toward me, intent on keeping me alive for torture.

To think, I had survived Hell on Earth to only end up dead a few years later, by the same forces of horror, on a desolate moon. I wanted to live out my days in peace and solitude and die of old age in a bed. This wasn't how I wanted life to end. There was no other choice, though. Perhaps I would find peace on the other side or maybe another Hell was lying in wait for me.

The barrel of the pistol was snug in my mouth. I would take the coward's way out. I pulled the trigger................

End.


End file.
